Last night, the New York Islanders’ magical run came to a halt, and in as heartbreaking a fashion as one could envision.

Brooks Orpik launched a rocket past Evgeni Nabokov 7:49 into overtime of Game Six, giving the Pittsburgh Penguins a series victory and propelling them into the second round.

I think I speak on behalf of the players, coaching staff, management and fans when I say that nobody wanted it to end and certainly not this way. A disappointing moment for the 16,000-plus who poured into Nassau Coliseum that night, no doubt, but they gave their team a standing ovation as the Isles saluted the crowd for the final time this season.

When all was said and done, you could just sense that these Islander players had given everything they had and so much more. Their compete level, intensity and resiliency was highly evident throughout this series and there were many steps forward that were taken over these past six games.

John Tavares had already proven his superstar status, as far as the regular season was concerned. He was named a Hart Trophy finalist for putting up 47 points in 48 games and, in doing so, giving the Isles the boost they needed to become a playoff team.

But that was the regular season and, ultimately, stars are judged by their playoff performances. Everyone was excited to see Tavares in the postseason, but I think there were a lot of people looking to answer the question of whether or not he was capable of being a “pressure player.”

Well, Tavares responded. He notched five points — three goals, including a game-winner, and two assists — in six games. Other than in Game One, when he went without a shot for the first and only time this year, Tavares was a dominant force.

Kyle Okposo, a subject of much criticism over the majority of the season, silenced his critics in a big way. He scored three goals in the series, all of which came in clutch situations. Okposo had already started to catch fire before the end of the regular season, but he raised his game to an even higher level in these playoffs.

I was also very impressed with Casey Cizikas (two goals, two assists) and Michael Grabner (one goal, three assists), both of whom stepped up and made plays when the moment required that, regardless of how difficult or dire the circumstances were.

Going through the lineup, it’s hard to find anyone who didn’t show up or contribute. Matt Moulson wasn’t quite what he was expected to be, but then again, I’m not sure why Jack Capuano separated him from Tavares and, naturally, that had an adverse effect on his ability to score goals.

Regarding the head coach, I remain unimpressed. There are some things that I like about Capuano and lots of things that I don’t. He is not the man to take the Islanders to that next level, in my opinion.

Evgeni Nabokov. (Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

Evgeni Nabokov was a disappointment, I won’t deny that either. I wouldn’t say that he lost the Islanders this series; it’s just that he didn’t go out there and win it for them, and that’s what upsetting people right now. However, I think there are other factors here.

For starters, Nabokov was facing the deepest offense the NHL has seen in years and was being asked to stand on his head against a group of forwards that are potent enough to make Patrick Roy look like, well, Marc-Andre Fleury.

Then you have the fact that, because the Islanders elected not to wake up until March, they ended up starting Nabokov just about every single night until the end of the season, which is going to take its toll on any 37-year-old goaltender, no matter how good he is. It’s certainly not ridiculous to suggest that Nabby was quite possibly just worn out by the time the playoffs came around.

Even despite what happened these last six games, it still amazed me to see how quickly everyone turned on Nabokov, considering that if not for his own heroics, the Islanders would not have gotten into the postseason.

I think Nabokov will be back, as he should. The Isles do need a backup though, whether it’s Kevin Poulin or not, who will take some more starts and keep Nabby rested and sharp.

As for Mark Streit, I would be surprised if he didn’t return as well. He’s drawn a lot of negative feedback lately, but to be honest, if the Islanders had other guys who were better defensively, Streit wouldn’t be under nearly as much pressure to be a shutdown guy. He’s not supposed to be, anyways; that’s just not his role.

He is, however, crucial to the power play, which was a top-10 unit for most of the year and in large part because of Streit. To lose him would be to take a step back, in my opinion. Don’t kid yourself into thinking otherwise, because that would be a foolish oversight.

Brad Boyes also becomes an unrestricted free agent in July and the Isles will have to make a decision on him as well. Boyes had his most productive year since 2010-11, amassing 35 points in 48 games, which would put him on pace for roughly 60 in a full 82-game season.

Islander fans never really grew fond of Boyes and, I have to say, I was a bit surprised to see that. I thought he filled P.A. Parenteau’s skates quite nicely and played very well for  someone on a one-year, one million dollar contract.

I also noticed that, unlike Parenteau, Boyes hustled on every shift and was hungry for loose pucks. Even when the puck’s not on your stick, you still have to be a hockey player and I think Boyes embodied that. I’d like to see him back in an Islander uniform next season.

The Islanders should receive some upgrades at forward and on defense, with the  impending arrival of young studs such as Ryan Strome, (hopefully) Nino Niederreiter, Brock Nelson, Anders Lee, Matt Donovan and maybe, just maybe, Griffin Reinhart.

I think that, if you’re an Islander fan, that’s what has you psyched more than anything right now, because your team just made the playoffs without its top prospects, a few of which who are amongst the most promising in all of hockey.

Not only did they make the playoffs; the Islanders, who were supposed to be swept, gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a run for their money that nobody saw coming. Nobody, except for the players in that locker room, of course.

If you think about it, this team was two goals, two saves and possibly one less penalty away from knocking out the heavily-favored Pens.

Although they’re moving to the Barclays Center in a few years, it’s absolutely worth noting that Nassau Coliseum has once again become a nightmare of a setting for opposing teams.

New York hadn’t won a home playoff game in Uniondale since 2002, but that changed when they threaded six pucks into the back of the net behind Fleury in Game Four. As for the ones they lost, Games Three and Six, both contests required overtime-winning goals by the Penguins and both featured multiple displays of resiliency by the home team.

I was in attendance for Games Four and Five and, to be honest, my ears are still ringing. The fans rocked the old barn and registered decibal levels that were off the charts. Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described the crowd as being “a million times louder than any sellout at Consol Energy Center.”

The future is bright and, in this writer’s eyes, the Islanders’ performance over these last six games absolutely signalled the beginning of a new and promising era for this franchise.

Be proud, be excited.

Follow Daniel Friedman on Twitter: @DFriedmanNHL

Author information

Daniel Friedman

I'm a columnist for the New York Islanders on The Hockey Writers. I hail from West Hempstead, NY, I'm a Senior at Queens College and work at NBC Sports Network. Follow me on Twitter @DFriedmanNHL

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Matt Martin (Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports)

As Iron Man 3 tears up the world-wide box office, the movie industry continues to be impressed by producer Kevin Feige’s Marvel Studio’s plan to create a comic book styled cinematic universe.  Feige rolled out a series of stand alone super hero movies all building towards the ultimate crossover film, The Avengers, last summer.  He called this Phase One.  Now Iron Man 3 begins Phase Two.  Sequels to Thor, Captain America, a Guardians of The Galaxy film and finally, Avengers 2.  Then there will be Phase Three.  Phase Three will turn obscure comic book character Ant-Man into a household name.  It’s a feat that takes patience, drive, and vision.   All the traits that the New York Islanders have also had over the last five years, leading to the 2013 season.  The Islanders may have lost in the first round,  they may have lost at home in overtime, but for the hockey minded onlooker, they must have seen that this was only Phase One of the bigger vision.  This team will be hungrier, better, and true believers that they can fight for the Stanley’s Cup next year and beyond.

Roots

I currently live in Los Angeles, but follow the Islanders as closely as any season ticket holder on Long Island.  Due to some fortuitous scheduling thanks to a good friend’s (a Ranger fan of all things) wedding, I found myself on Long Island for the this week of playoffs.  I got to watch the games with my family, as well as attend games 3 and 6 at the old barn, the Nassau Coliseum.  I’m thrilled to see the team upgrade to the Barclay’s Center in 2015, but I sure hope it can replicate the volume of the crowd at the Coliseum.  To hear, nay feel the explosiveness of that insatiable Islander adoring crowd alone made my 3000 mile trip worth it.  To know for players like Mark Streit, Kyle Okposo, John Tavares, Matt Moulson,  Matt Martin, Frans Nielsen and Josh Bailey, who’ve been here for a few years, and only now finally get to hear what it’s like to have 1600 strong screaming and roaring at ear drum crunching decibels for them, I know they will do whatever it takes to keep it going in the coming seasons.  The jumbo tron screen requested we fans “Rock This Barn” and rock it we did.

The End… For Now

Game 6 was as exciting as the other three at Nassau Coliseum.  Sadly, it ended in defeat. The moment was bittersweet, as after a few moments of seeing the Penguins rush from their bench to celebrate, the crowd realized they too must be as resilient as their upstart Islanders had been all series.  We began the most powerful and important “Let’s Go Islanders” chant of all.  The one that said “thank you.”   The players shook hands with their victorious opponents, and turned to us.  Led by John “MVP” Tavares, he raised his stick up to the crowd.  The boys in blue and orange saluted us as we saluted them.  We all understood that this was a necessary step towards the bigger goal.  A young team needs to experience the playoffs,  they need to learn what it takes to compete, to win.

A week and half a go, this Islanders team was projected to be swept or out in 5.  After game 1, it looked like they were out of their league.  Instead, they dug down deep, they fought hard, they learned from their mistakes, and they made a dangerous, star-stacked, first-place team look beatable.  Once the emotional clouds fade away, we’ll point out how they lost in six, but hey, two of those games were in overtime.  Those are the two games that could have gone the other way.  Or the two rough losses in game 1 and 5 in Pittsburgh, hey, those were games the team learned from, a little more experience and those would have looked very different.   GM Garth Snow can now assess what this team needs to make it to Phase Two.  There will be some decisions in the offseason about free agents to be, goaltending options will be explored, and we’ll await the NHL Awards night, to see if John Tavares goes from Hart Trophy Candidate, to Hart Trophy winner for the 2013 season.  As he led the team off the ice for the last time, the salute to the team turned into the “MVP” chant for him.  It’s no secret that everything this team accomplishes from now on will be on his shoulders.  Thankfully, he looks strong enough to carry the responsiblity.

Josh Bailey John Tavares. (Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports)

Is It October Yet?

For me, I head back to Los Angeles.  Last year I saw the excitement of a Stanley Cup first hand, and though I was happy for my adoptive city team, I never felt it pulsate through my entire being like I did this week with the Isles.  Every win made me believe they could win it all, every loss clouded the next day with infinite sadness and anxiety for the next game.  But for one week I was reunited with old friends and family at the old barn.  I got to see my mom cheer as Kyle Okposo dropped the gloves for a momentum changing fight in game 2.  And I’m sure if things had gone differently in overtime in game 6, it would have been the most exciting Mother’s Day of all time had we watched game 7 together… next year, mom!

Phase One was for GM Snow to rebuild this shambled franchise.  Put together an exciting, explosive young team.  Beyond Tavares, we marveled at the hard work of the grinders, heavy hitters and heart and soul players like Colin McDonald, Travis Hamonic, Casey Cizikas, and Matt Martin, just to name a few.  The thing is the core of this team is dynamic and full of personality; the kind of team we’ll enjoy rooting on for years to come.  Phase One was make it to the playoffs and show we belong.

Phase Two begins this offseason.  It means other teams will not take the Islanders lightly.  It will be a bigger stage.  It means becoming contenders.  Because for the first time in decades, the New York Islanders will be a team that could win it all…  but that’s Phase Three.

Author information

Jeff Hersh

Jeff is a writer of short stories, screenplays, comics, and plays. He's also a filmmaker, and a mens division 4 ice hockey goalie in Los Angeles, California. Originally from New York, he is a life long Islanders fan and excited to see them move to Brooklyn in 2015!

Twitter

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Things have come down to the wire in the series between the New York Islanders and the Pittsburgh Penguins. (BridgetDS/Flickr)

It has indeed come down to the wire, folks.

All the hard work, the gutsy come-from-behind wins, the never-say-die performances, they have all led to this moment. For the New York Islanders, they need to win tomorrow night or else they’ll have to wait until October to get another shot.

This has been a banner year for the Isles, by all accounts and should they be on the wrong side of the handshake line tomorrow evening, I really hope the fans do the right thing and give the boys a standing ovation, because they deserve one.

I think it’s fair to say that this has been a playoff series for the ages, considering the opponent and the resiliency that has been demonstrated by the underdog throughout. I think that there have been a lot of positives, whether it’s Kyle Okposo, Casey Cizikas or John Tavares.

Unfortunately, the one man that has failed to meet expectations is Evgeni Nabokov, and that has kind of been an issue for the Islanders. I wouldn’t even say he’s been bad in this series (as was the case in the regular season, the stats do not necessarily reflect his contribution). He made some real big saves, particularly in Game Four, and though it obviously didn’t take much, he out-played Marc-Andre Fleury.

What he has yet to do, and what the Islanders really need him to do on Saturday, is steal a hockey game. Nabokov has done it before and certainly has enough talent and experience to do it again. His career playoff stats are rather suspect, but he has also put on some of the best goaltending performances in recent postseason history and the Isles sure could use one of those.

I’m not about to hang Game Five on Nabokov. The second goal was a softie, no question, but at the end of the day, the only

Evgeni Nabokov will need to steal a game for the Islanders if they are to keep their playoff hopes alive. (Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

diference that would’ve been made is that instead of losing 4-0, the Isles would’ve lost 3-0. What a dramatic turn of events that would have been.

The Islanders lost last night because they didn’t have enough sustained pressure; it’s one thing to throw shots at the net and get quality chances every once in a while, it’s quite another to keep the puck in the offensive zone for a significant amount of time, which is far more effective.

Let’s also not forget — the defense has completely hung Nabokov out to dry for much of this series. Most of the goals the Penguins have scored have been on gorgeous plays or defensive lapses.

All the more reason why Nabokov needs to steal one tomorrow night. If he can keep his team in the hockey game, the Isles can win. The Pens are going to be focused and determined to knock off the Islanders, so it’ll be up to them to the weather the incoming storm. If the defense plays anything like it has in the first five games, this team will be on the golf course faster than you can say “Nino Niederreiter.”

Speaking of prospects, if Frans Nielsen is indeed unable to go for Game Six, which I severely hope is not the case, then I think if you’re the Islanders you have to give Ryan Strome a shot. He can help this team in a firefight. Casey Cizikas can absolutely take on Nielsen’s role, I’m very confident in his ability to do that. But you do need to replace Nielsen’s offensive contributions as well and that’s where Strome comes in. He knows what to do with the puck, he knows how to make plays.

As much as I dump on the fans for blaming Marty Reasoner for everything that goes wrong, the man does not need to be in the lineup at this point; he’s just not going to give the Isles what they’re looking for right now.

I just want to mention one more thing. As bad a coach as Dan Bylsma is (yes, I just said that), he has out-coached Jack Capuano in this series. Some of these lineup decisions have been very iffy; for example, putting Radek Martinek AND Thomas Hickey in and taking out Matt Carkner.

We all knew someone had to replace the injured Andrew MacDonald, no one was going to criticize Jack for substituting a player in for him. But to instead take out Carkner, who’d done a nice job in Game Four and then throw two guys who hadn’t played in a while right into the fire? It just didn’t make a lot of sense and, though it’s not the main reason the Isles lost last night, it definitely played a part.

Some of these line changes have also been brutal. Evgeni Malkin scored a goal in Game Four because Frans Nielsen was called off for a line change and hopped onto the bench just as Malkin darted right past him and into the Isles’ zone with a wide-open shooting lane.

The forward lines themselves, by the way, are not quite as effective as some people started thinking after Games Two, Three and Four. Yes, the offense stepped up. Yes, the Islanders scored more goals. Yes, there are certain one-two punches on these lines that make sense. But there are odd men out on each of the top two lines.

I like Josh Bailey on that first line with John Tavares. What I don’t like is that Matt Moulson was swapped off it, which has basically rendered him ineffective. Why Capuano would ever separate Moulson and Tavares is completely mind-boggling. If it were me, I’d stick what got me here and, other than swapping Bailey and Boyes, wouldn’t touch a thing.

Tavares is going to step up no matter who he plays with, and Kyle Okposo (finally) appears to be developing into that kind of player as well. But that does not mean that all of a sudden, the new line formations are flawless. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

At the end of the day, the New York Islanders have proven a lot in this series. If they wanted the hockey world’s attention, boy did they ever get it. Everyone’s taking notice now. Be proud of this team and what they’ve accomplished this year. The future is very bright.

Win or lose tomorrow night, it’s been one heck of a ride and, in my opinion, it’s just getting started.

Comments are welcome

Follow Daniel Friedman on Twitter: @DFriedmanNHL

Author information

Daniel Friedman

I'm a columnist for the New York Islanders on The Hockey Writers. I hail from West Hempstead, NY, I'm a Senior at Queens College and work at NBC Sports Network. Follow me on Twitter @DFriedmanNHL

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Fans, myself included, are lining the bridges of this city, preparing for the seemingly inevitable: another Penguins first round playoff exit.

The reality of the series

Marc-Andre Fleury has imploded once again. ©Stephanie Cohen

The New York Islanders are yet another bad first round matchup for the Penguins. Their speed is deadly. To complicate things, Marc-Andre Fleury has imploded for the second straight playoff series. All of the trade deadline acquisitions for the Penguins are coming up woefully empty. Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang have resembled pond hockey players instead of the reigning League MVP and a current Norris Trophy candidate respectively. And Brendan Sutter, the centerpiece for the Penguins in the Jordan Staal trade, was demoted to fourth-line duties last night in Game Four. And one last reality for you: this series is inexplicably tied at two games apiece.

Glass half full

The Penguins have been embarrassingly outplayed in the past 188:44. They’ve blown two separate 2-goal leads (Games 2 & 3) and last night had two 1-goal leads before finally being disposed of. Yet somehow, they’ve managed to win back home-ice advantage and knot this series.

Every Islander player, coach, staff member, and fan has every right to feel like their team should be up three game to one over the “mighty” Penguins. But the Islanders can’t stay out of the penalty box, and the Pens power play has been stellar. On the flip side of that coin, the Penguins penalty kill has been all but lights out, while the Islanders’ power play has struggled mightily.

As I stated above, the Penguins have taken back home-ice advantage by virtue of their 5-4 overtime win in Game Three Sunday afternoon. Simply put, the Pens will have three chances, starting tomorrow night, to clinch this series. Of those three opportunities, two are at Consol Energy Center.

Glass half empty

Clearly you can see the reasons for pessimism. Beyond what is listed above, add to this Dan Bylsma’s unwillingness to eliminate the stretch pass out of the zone against the Isles’ 1-3-1 defensive setup, along with forcing either Jarome Iginla or James Neal to play his off wing, which neither of whom is comfortable playing.

The defense has been miserable. Douglas Murray, for as hard as it is to knock him off his skates, his lack of speed has been exposed in these past three games. Matt Niskanen is constantly being abused, and has been so since the thumping he took from Kyle Okposo in Game Two. Kris Letang, while being their most talented defenseman, has been making awful plays at every turn. Mark Eaton has been unusually unaggressive and timid in his own end. Derek Engelland has been prone to too many dumb penalties, and Simon Despres just looked lost in Game Three. Paul Martin, as he has been all season, is the Penguins best defenseman so far, and Brooks Orpik just returned from injury last night.

The defense, along with Fleury’s poor play, are the components of this series having a feeling of being nearly over, yet somehow miraculously being tied.

A solution?

All of the Penguins’ Stanley Cup hopes now rest on Tomas Vokoun’s shoulders. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)

Earlier this afternoon, Dan Bylsma announced that Tomas Vokoun will get the start in net in Game Five tomorrow night. This is a step in the right direction for a coach who has to be fighting for his livelihood. But other changes are needed. Vokoun will not win this series on his own for the Penguins.

For starters, reunite Chris Kunitz with Malkin and James Neal. This line was magic last season, and had shown signs of that same magic in the few times they were put together. Move Iginla to Sidney Crosby’s right (his natural position and where he is most comfortable), and put Pascal Dupuis on Sid’s left. Duper is a guy who can play any forward position, and with Crosby, will excel no matter where he is.

Play a more defensive style. Like last season against the Flyers, the Penguins just wanted to run and gun. “Go ahead and score four goals. We’ll just score five” was the attitude that that team had taken (reminiscent of 1993). Now, all of a sudden, that mantra seems to be back. It’s not what propelled them to a 15-game winning streak during the entire month of March, or a 7-game winning streak towards the end of the season. Heck, if need be, utilize a trapping system. It’s not glamorous, but then again no team ever finessed their way to a Stanley Cup.

Make no mistake about it: the only player on this team NOT playing for his career in Pittsburgh is Sidney Crosby. Everyone else, should this series go south, will be on the chopping block come July. It’s time to watch some game film from earlier in the season, and figure out to win these next two games.

Keep up with all of my work on Twitter. Shame on you for six weeks if you’re not already following me. You can do so here: Follow @TDT_Pens4Life

Series is tied at two. It’s a race to two victories now. Which means…

“Its a great day for hockey!!”

Author information

Tannor Torrao

Pittsburgh, Pa. Hockey junkie. Fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Red Sox. Never short on opinions when it comes to either.

Twitter

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Evgeni Nabokov (Jeanine Leech/Icon SMI)

On the same day that Sergei Bobrovsky, Henrik Lundqvist, and Antti Niemi were announced as finalists for the 2012-13 Vezina Trophy, I’m presenting a new kind of goalie award, the Most Valuable Goaltender of the Year, to Evgeni Nabokov of the New York Islanders. This honor is based on a single statistically-driven question: Which starting keeper was the biggest difference-maker for his team?

Despite this article’s lofty title, Most Valuable Goaltender of the Year isn’t a true replacement for the Vezina. For that, I’d pick Bobrovsky. Instead, it’s a simple, important honor, and as you’ll see, a useful supplement for selecting the sport’s top netminder. For example, it confirmed my initial suspicion that I’d nominate Nabokov over Carey Price or Tuukka Rask, to name two popular candidates, on my fictitious Vezina ballot.

The value of a team’s Starter versus their Overall Backup (all backups together) is measured by Most Valuable Goalie Points (MVG Points). Starter MVG Points are derived from the sum of Save Percentage and Points Earned Differentials (between Starter and Overall Backup). Save Percentage is a fair in-team comparable because the Starter and Overall Backup perform behind roughly the same teammates; Points Earned also judges internal productivity with similar teammates. Starter MVG Points are then compared throughout the league.

The goalie who began the season starting will be designated team Starter. Of course, some of those plans were derailed in this breakneck sprint of a year by injuries or ineffective play.

Anyway, here’s the complete Most Valuable Goaltender of the Year list for 2012-13. Let me be the first ever to start up the chant, “MVG! MVG! MVG!”

Author information

Sheng Peng

Sheng Peng's sports & entertainment blog, Sean Penn's Ego, smears all sports and is spiced with a touch of karaoke and poetry. He also has a comic book in production, Love in the Time of Acne. Sheng is a lifelong Kings' fan who can now die in peace, and he wears only two types of laundry: LA and USA.

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.

Nino Niederreiter (Patxi64/Flickr)

The IIHF World Championships 2013 in Sweden and Finland have so far been a dream for Switzerland. The Swiss, led by Canadian head coach Sean Simpson, have so far dominated the Championships with three games played.

It all began for the team on May 3^rd, with Switzerland facing off against Sweden. Despite being the underdogs, the Alpine nation stunned the hometown crowd at the Globe Arena in Stockholm with a dominant display of skill, winning the game in regulation time.

Matthias Bieber, Nino Niederreiter and an empty netter by Toronto born Swiss player Ryan Gardner secured a 3-2 win over the highly touted home side with Nino Niederreiter, a prospect of the New York Islanders, being selected as the Swiss player of the game.

After defeating the hometown Swedes, the Swiss did not rest on their laurels, putting up another classy display against the tournament favorite Team Canada on May 5^th.

Switzerland scored goals one and four in a 2-2 regulation draw against the powerful Canadian team skating with star NHL players such as Steven Stamkos, Andrew Ladd and the Staal Brothers.

With Reto Suri scoring for the Swiss in the second round and Matt Duchene scoring in the third round of the penalty shootout, it took until round 8 for the Swiss to score again, Reto Suri netting his second goal of the shootout with Colorado player Matt Duchene failing to score on his final attempt.

A name that may be familiar to Canadian hockey fans is that of Swiss player Martin Gerber, starting netminder against both Sweden and Canada. Gerber most recently played in the NHL for the Edmonton Oilers in 2010/11 and throughout his career, the 38-year-old has featured in a total of 241 NHL regular season and playoff games.

About playing against his native country, Switzerland head coach Sean Simpson told CBC:

“It’s my job now to win for Switzerland, but it’s very special to not only to win against Canada, but every time you play against Canada”

After two great performances to begin the championships, no one could have blamed the Swiss for having an off-day, playing a tough Czech Republic team just 24 hours after the thriller against Canada.

Nobody told the Swiss though, the young team making it three wins from three games. After the Czech Republic led through 40 minutes following a double from Jiri Hudler, Switzerland stormed back in the third period, scoring 3 goals in the final 20 minutes through Simon Moser, Simon Bodenmann and an empty net goal by Reto Suri to seal the deal.

Through the impressive performances against arguably three of the best teams in the tournament Canada, Sweden and the Czech Republic, Switzerland finds themselves at the top of Group S with 2 wins and 1 overtime win for a total of 8 points and a goal differential of +5.

The next challenge for the Swiss comes on Wednesday May 8^th at 4pm local time against Slovenia in Stockholm,  with the Slovenians having lost both of their opening games against Norway and Belarus.

As per the official IIHF World Championships website, the current Swiss roster consists of the following players:

Author information

Daniel Schöpf

Admirer of the NHL, Canucks and the Swiss NLA. Feel free to follow me on Twitter: @HockeyWest

Twitter

This article was originally published at: The Hockey Writers.